Welcome to Divorce the IRS, the Retirement Income Planning Podcast—built for people who want to pay the least amount of taxes possible and create retirement income that actually lasts. Inspired by Jimmy Miller’s bestselling book Divorce the IRS, this show takes you behind the scenes of the tax rules, retirement strategies, and planning decisions that can quietly determine how much of your money you keep.
The truth is, taxes aren’t just “something you deal with later.” The U.S. tax code is massive, confusing by design, and full of traps that can hit hardest right when you need your money most. From 401(k)s and IRAs to Social Security and Medicare, many common “smart moves” can turn into expensive surprises—like required minimum distributions, Medicare surcharges, the widow’s penalty, and other retirement tax time bombs most people don’t see coming until it’s too late.
With more than 20 years of experience as a global wealth manager, Jimmy breaks these topics down in a clear, practical way—so you can plan proactively, avoid unnecessary taxes, and build a retirement where your delayed gratification finally pays off. Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and remember: this podcast is for general education only and isn’t legal, tax, or investment advice—always consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.
August 7, 2026
If you're expecting a pension in retirement, your strategy for divorcing the IRS may look very different from someone relying primarily on Social Security and investments. In this episode of the Divorce the IRS Podcast , we wrap up our three-part case study series by looking at how taxable pension income affects your Ideal Number and the amount you may want to keep in tax-deferred retirement accou
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Welcome back to Episode 31 of The Divorce the IRS Podcast . In this episode, Jimmy Miller walks through the second retirement planning case study from Divorce the IRS . Unlike the first case study, this one follows a couple who are much closer to retirement and have already accumulated most of their wealth inside traditional pre-tax retirement accounts. Meet Bob and Helen. They're both 50 years ol
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July 24, 2026
In this episode of the Divorce the IRS Podcast , Jimmy Miller begins a new three-part case study series showing how the concepts discussed throughout the podcast can work in real life. This first case study focuses on Mary, a fictional saver who starts making smart retirement planning decisions at age 30. By using Roth accounts, taking advantage of her employer match, and carefully managing withdr
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July 15, 2026
In this episode of the Divorce the IRS Podcast , Jimmy Miller discusses a retirement philosophy that has become increasingly popular: die broke, also known as die with zero. The idea behind this strategy is to maximize retirement income and enjoy more of your money during your lifetime, especially when leaving a financial legacy is not a major goal. Jimmy explains why the concept can make sense in
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July 6, 2026
In this episode of the Divorce the IRS Podcast , Jimmy Miller continues the conversation from last week’s episode on the FIRE movement by taking a closer look at real estate investing and how it fits into the Divorce the IRS framework. Real estate is one of the most common investment topics Jimmy gets asked about. How does it compare to the stock market? Can it work as a retirement income strategy
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July 1, 2026
In this episode of the Divorce the IRS Podcast , Jimmy Miller breaks down the F.I.R.E. movement, which stands for Financial Independence Retire Early, and explains why the concepts in Divorce the IRS can be especially useful for people who want to retire before the traditional retirement age. Jimmy discusses why Roth accounts can be such a powerful tool for early retirees, including how Roth IRA c
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June 25, 2026
Welcome back to The Divorce the IRS Podcast . In this episode, we build on the previous conversation about life insurance retirement plans and take a closer look at one of the most overlooked details in many index-based insurance products: dividends. This is not an anti-IUL or anti-annuity episode. Fixed index annuities and indexed universal life policies can have a place for the right person when
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June 18, 2026
Many retirees and high-income earners are constantly searching for ways to build more tax-free income in retirement. One strategy that often enters the conversation is the Life Insurance Retirement Plan, better known as a LIRP. Proponents often market LIRPs as a powerful way to create tax-free retirement income while maintaining life insurance protection. But are they really as good as advertised?
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June 15, 2026
Many people spend years building up money inside their 401(k), only to discover that accessing those funds before age 59½ can trigger a costly 10% early withdrawal penalty. Fortunately, there are exceptions. In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we break down one of the most important retirement planning rules for early retirees: the Rule of 55. This IRS exception allows certain workers
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June 1, 2026
Most people assume that if they access retirement accounts before age 59½, they’ll automatically face a 10% early withdrawal penalty. That’s not always true. In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we break down one of the most overlooked retirement tax strategies available today: the 72(t) strategy, also known as SEPP (Substantially Equal Periodic Payments). This IRS-approved strategy al
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May 28, 2026
LISTEN TO THE IDEAL NUMBER EPISODE: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2565788/episodes/19096145 CALCULATE YOUR IDEAL NUMBER: https://baobabwealth.com/ideal-number/ One of the biggest questions in retirement tax planning is whether it makes sense to pay taxes now instead of later. For many people, the answer may be yes. In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we break down Roth conversions and wh
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May 25, 2026
One of the biggest misconceptions in retirement planning is the idea that high earners are locked out of Roth IRAs forever. They’re not. In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast, we break down one of the most powerful advanced Roth strategies available today: the Mega Backdoor Roth. This strategy allows certain investors to move significantly larger amounts of money into Roth accounts throug
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May 14, 2026
One of the biggest misconceptions in retirement planning is the idea that high earners are locked out of Roth IRAs forever. They’re not. In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we break down one of the most widely used advanced Roth strategies available today: the backdoor Roth IRA. The backdoor Roth strategy gives higher income earners a legal pathway to move money into Roth accounts, ev
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May 7, 2026
Most people know Roth accounts are “tax-free.” But very few people actually understand the rules that make them so powerful. In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we continue building on the concept of the “ideal number” and explore one of the most important wealth-building tools available: the Roth IRA. We break down the key Roth IRA rules everyone should understand, including contribu
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April 29, 2026
Most people think the key to lowering taxes in retirement is simple: use Roth accounts. But what if the real strategy is more nuanced than that? In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we break down one of the most important concepts in retirement tax planning: finding your “ideal number” in tax-deferred accounts and using a combination strategy to minimize taxes over your lifetime. While
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April 21, 2026
What happens to your money after you pass away? For many families, the answer is more complicated and more costly than expected. In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we break down the final tax time bomb, often described as paying taxes from the grave. It is a hidden risk that can leave your heirs with a significant tax burden, even if your intentions were to pass along as much wealth
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April 13, 2026
What happens to your taxes when one spouse passes away? For many couples, the answer is surprising and costly. In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we break down one of the most overlooked risks in retirement planning, often called the widow’s or widower’s penalty. It is a tax shift that can increase your tax burden even as your income declines, creating a difficult financial situation
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April 1, 2026
In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we continue our series on retirement tax time bombs by breaking down one of the most overlooked triggers of higher taxes later in life—Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). While many retirees assume they can leave their tax-deferred accounts untouched for as long as they’d like, the reality is very different. Once you reach age 73, the IRS require
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March 24, 2026
In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we continue our series on retirement tax time bombs with a surprise many people encounter around age 65— Medicare premium surcharges . While many assume Medicare is free, the reality is far more complex. Your premiums for Medicare Part B and Part D are based on your income, and for higher earners, those costs can increase significantly. These surcha
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March 16, 2026
In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we continue our series on the retirement tax time bombs that can quietly increase your tax bill later in life. Today’s focus is Tax Time Bomb #4: Social Security taxation . Many retirees assume that once they begin collecting Social Security, the income will simply supplement their retirement savings. But depending on how your income is structured i
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March 10, 2026
Many people spend decades building their retirement savings, believing the money in their IRA or 401(k) will fully belong to them once they stop working. But when retirement finally arrives, many retirees discover a difficult truth: a significant portion of those savings was never fully theirs to begin with. In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we explore the third major tax time bomb
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March 3, 2026
Withdrawing from your retirement account may seem like a quick solution when life throws you a curveball. But what if that decision quietly costs you far more than you realize, both today and decades into the future? In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we break down the second major tax time bomb: early withdrawal penalties . While retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs offer valua
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February 24, 2026
Getting a tax deduction today feels responsible. But what if the bigger risk to your retirement is not how much you are paying in taxes now, but how much you might be forced to pay later? In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we begin breaking down the first of eight major tax time bombs that can quietly threaten your long-term financial plan: exploding tax rates. Over the past several
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February 17, 2026
Getting a tax deduction today feels smart. But what if the strategy you’ve been told will “save you money” is quietly setting you up to pay far more over your lifetime? In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we tackle one of the biggest myths in retirement planning: the belief that you’ll automatically be in a lower tax bracket when you retire. It sounds logical. You stop working, your i
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February 9, 2026
Getting a big tax refund feels good. But what if that short-term win is quietly costing you far more over your lifetime? In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we explore why common tax advice — even from well-meaning professionals — may not be aligned with your long-term financial best interest. Most tax preparers are trained to focus on one goal each year: helping you get the largest l
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February 3, 2026
Most young professionals are unknowingly setting themselves up for higher taxes later in life. In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we break down one of the biggest financial planning mistakes early-career workers make — prioritizing traditional, tax-deferred retirement accounts over Roth options when they are likely in the lowest tax bracket they’ll ever see. When you first enter the
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January 26, 2026
In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we break down a retirement planning idea that most people misunderstand: the so-called “tax deduction” you get when contributing to tax-deferred accounts like traditional IRAs and 401(k)s. What if those deductions aren’t really deductions at all—but small loans from the IRS that come due later? We start by revisiting the three tax buckets—Tax Me Now
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January 19, 2026
In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , we break down one of the most important concepts in tax-smart investing: the three tax buckets. Every account you own falls into one of these categories—Tax Me Now (taxable), Tax Me Later (tax-deferred), or Tax Me Never (tax-free). Understanding which bucket your money lives in can have a massive impact on your taxes in retirement. We start with the
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January 12, 2026
In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , Jimmy Miller tackles one of the most damaging tax myths in America, the belief that earning more money can actually make you worse off. After more than two decades of working with clients, Jimmy has seen how deeply misunderstood our tax system really is, and how that confusion leads people to avoid raises, overtime, and smart income opportunities ou
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January 5, 2026
In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , Jimmy Miller pulls back the curtain on the many hidden taxes quietly draining your money every day. While most people are familiar with the taxes that come out of their paycheck, few realize how many additional taxes and fees are layered into nearly every aspect of daily life. Jimmy begins by breaking taxes into two main categories. The first includ
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December 30, 2025
In this second episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , Jimmy Miller expands on what it really means to “divorce” the IRS and why taxes play a much bigger role in your financial life than most people realize. Jimmy begins with a simple truth: no one enjoys paying taxes—especially surprise tax bills. While many people celebrate refunds, few realize refunds are often just their own money returned wi
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December 29, 2025
In this episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , author and retirement income specialist Jimmy Miller shares the mission behind the show and why tax planning—not just investing—is the foundation of a better retirement. This podcast is designed for people who want to keep more of their hard-earned money, reduce unnecessary taxes, and build a retirement income strategy that lasts. Jimmy explains why
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December 22, 2025
In this introductory episode of The Divorce the IRS Podcast , financial planner, author, and speaker Jimmy Miller lays the groundwork for a different way of thinking about retirement, taxes, and wealth. Inspired by his bestselling book Divorce the IRS , Jimmy explains why so many well-intentioned retirement savers unknowingly walk straight into tax traps—and how better planning can change the outc
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